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Protection & Advocacy Inc.
Advancing the rights of Californians with disabilities
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SAN DIEGO REGIONAL OFFICE
1111 Sixth Avenue, Suite 200
San Diego, CA
92101
Tel: (619) 239-7861
TTY: (800) 576-9269
Toll Free: (800) 776-5746
Fax: (619) 239-7906
www.pai-ca.org
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SAN DIEGO (October 29, 2007) - Protection &
Advocacy, Inc., an advocacy organization for Californians with disabilities,
has announced it is ready to offer assistance and referrals to those who are having
difficulty accessing shelters or services due to the fires.
“We know there are many people with disabilities in
Southern California who are experiencing problems with inaccessible shelters
or services related to the recent fires,” stated Andrew Mudryk, PAI’s
director of litigation for Southern California.
“We are ready to help advocate for accessible shelter or transportation,
missing or destroyed assistive technology, and to connect people with
necessary services such as ASL interpreters, referrals for mental health
services, personal assistants, assistance animals and other resources.”
More than half a million Southern
Californians had to evacuate within the last week, and many of
them would have had particular difficulties doing so due to a variety of
disabilities. Others may have been separated from their families or personal
assistants during the emergency. PAI maintains comprehensive resource
listings covering a multitude of services and its staff of lawyers and
advocates are accustomed to assisting people with disabilities deal with
emergencies, as well as cases of discrimination and other problems in
accessing mainstream or specialized services.
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